


There Was This Boy...

by JosieRuby1



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 05:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3925021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosieRuby1/pseuds/JosieRuby1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint arrives home after the events of Age of Ultron and finally has the chance to grieve Pietro's death</p>
            </blockquote>





	There Was This Boy...

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Avengers Age of Ultron

It was the second Laura's arms wrapped around him that Clint broke down. The weight and the pain of the down finally came down on him. He finally had the chance to stop being an avengers and just be a man. Laura's arms tightened around her, but it was Lacey, their little girl who spoke first.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" She asked.

Laura pulled away just enough to look at Lacey and Clint forced a weak smile on his face. Both Lacey and Phil were stood in front of them looking incredibly worried. He forced himself to let go of Laura, though he longed to cocoon himself in Laura's arms. Moving over to the children, Clint bent down in front of them, pulling both of them into his arms. 

"I am now that I'm back with you little monsters," He said, the joke almost lost through his watery tone. "Daddy's just had a very bad couple of days at work, can you two give me and Mommy some time to talk?"

Lacey looked uncertain but Phil took her hand, "Come on Lace, I'll let you play Black Widow in Avengers" he told her and pulled her away, looking back at his Dad who gave him a grateful smile.

Clint let out a long heavy sigh in an attempt to try and keep himself composed. Laura took his hand, there was no mistaking the concern on her face and Clint found himself hating everything that he put them through. Laura lead him through to the living room and kept hold of his hand even once they were sat on the sofa.

"What happened, Clint?" 

Clint swallowed, "There was this boy... A kid really..." He shook his head and smiled but he didn't quite manage a laugh. "He was an irritating little brat to be honest." Clint looked down after speaking then, the image of Pietro continued to rush through his mind. 

"What happened to him?" Laura pressed gently when Clint didn't continue for a long while.

Clint tried to focus on their hands, on Laura beside him, holding on to him. That was solid and real. "He died," His voice cracked again when he spoke, and he was quick to try and wipe the tears from his eyes. "He was practically a child!" Anger swept up in him. "He should never have been involved in our world." Clint didn't know who he was really angry at. The world, he reckoned, the universe for allowing things like this to happen.

Laura stayed quiet, giving him the time he needed, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand, hoping she was helping him in some way.

It was a long silence before Clint found the words to be able to continue. "The thing is... I was supposed to die." 

"What?" Laura was unable to keep the horror out of her voice at those words, causing Clint to finally look up at her.

"He died saving me, Laura," Clint said. "There was a spray of bullets, unmissable. I never would've made it through them. Pietro pulled me and this little kid through them. He got hit 5, 6, maybe 7 times. I got out unharmed. He  _died_ to save me." The tears rushed out again then.

Laura pulled him close to her and he buried his face in her shoulder, sobbing for moments. He couldn't stop his body from shaking physically as he let Laura hold him. He didn't move until his tears slowed and he was able to control them again. He looked up at Laura, lost.

"Why don't you tell me about him?" She asked.

Clint nodded. He leaned in and pecked her on the lips before leaned back against the sofa. "His parents were killed when they were young, they survived a shell with Stark's name on it."

"They?" Laura asked.

"Pietro and Wanda." He smiled sadly. "Twins. They gained powers because they allowed Striker to experiment on them. They were so angry at Stark. In the end they fought with us. They were Avengers in the end." Clint managed a small smile, "But god, he was irritating. He had this little catchphrase,  _you didn't see that coming?_ because he was so fast. It was the last thing he said."

Clint tried to shake away the tears but he couldn't. "I wanted to protect them. They were  _children._ I should've been the one saving them not the other way around." He could pinpoint the recipient of his anger now. Himself. "They didn't have a childhood, not after their parents. They needed someone to protect them. Someone to let them be young. He should never have died a warrior. I just... I just kept thinking; what if it was Lacey or Phil? God... They're kids." _  
_

"Clint look at me," He didn't. "Clint."

Slowly, he did, struggling to meet her eyes.

"That boy is a hero in my eyes. Yes it's unfair, no he didn't deserve it, but because of that boy, this one," She cupped her stomach, "Will get to know his Daddy. And call me selfish, but that's all I care about right now."

Clint placed his hands over hers on her stomach. "Coming back to you, is the only think that gets me through missions a lot of the time, Laur," he murmured. "I just wish that he had had the chance to come away from it as well."

 


End file.
